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Ryan And Fontaine
Sitemap ' Ryan And Fontaine ' --- --- --- --- --- Andrew Ryan & Frank Fontaine ' : It is unfortunate that because of the story 'Twist The "Would You Kinndly" control phrase of the Player's character, with Atlas actually being the supposedly dead Fontaine reveal' thing, that the game's writers decided to paint Ryan as an 'evil meanie', so that YOU would have empathy to follow Atlas (along that restricted game plot path). It was all ''a Setup for Fontaine's 'secret' betrayal/exposure. Most of what you know about Ryan is handily force-fed material from Atlas or by Ryan's detractors (because the writers Knew YOU could be led-by-the-nose like a steer into the abattoir). Ryan's death happens, and then the focus moves away, not really explaining much more about Ryan nor exhonorating him (As I've said many times - It IS a '''Shoot-Em-Up game - They have no need/priority for it to make sense or to be cohesive or offer latitude for the Player's own discovery or questioning what's happening). Fontaine, when he thinks he has won, actually tells us what a bastard he is, and about his basic motives. He explains about his actual actions (and crimes) and not just his 'philosophy'. He's the ultimate Parasite, who doesn't care about building/creating anything worthwhile (nor of his murdering others and destroying their achievements to get what he wants). He runs a con, making believe he lives Ryan's Philosophy, EXCEPT it is just a facade to steal and take Big Time. Fontaine represents the worst kind of 'Parasite' Ryan hated in the Real World, and what Ryan was fighting to eliminate/suppress/exclude within His City. - You could paint Fontaine's Rapture life as a 'game' - a murderous destructive game, like his life on the Surface (the Novel fills in more detail). He 'games' the system, to the great detriment of others (His actions included murdering people within the normal 'Surface' society - all to further his ambitions). Fontaine is a Sociopath. He exploits the freedoms in Rapture in order to take it over and would end those freedoms. Not exactly the kind of person anyone sane (if they knew what he was) would wish to have controlling society. Fontaine eventually exploits the unfortunates in Rapture with lies, telling them what they want to hear. He gets many addicted to a powerful drug to cause societal chaos. His 'Atlas' pretends to be a 'Liberator' so that HE can gain Power. (Read his own words about his many deceits/Lies). Can Fontaine really be put in some better light ?? What 'circumstance' could Fontaine have that justifies 'what he was' ? Just an Objectivism 'Opportunist' ? "Isn't that too all Ryan is?" Perhaps the writers think that way, but they would be wrong. Ryan Built. Was not Fontaine's cover shown as an "entrepreneur" something which Ryan was OK with (at first) ? Fontaine's amorality and criminal actions are conveniently hidden for so long. Only too late, to US, is Fontaine shown for what he really is -- a Criminal -- a thief, and NOT a "builder". Opportunity (what Ryan speaks-of/believes-in) is made invalid/reprehensible when it goes past society's limits, and involves stealing from and murdering/destroying others (not really emphasized by the writers...). But is not Fontaine merely a 'Strawman' A posed atypical example the writers use in their attempt to show (to a certain modern mentality) how Capitalism/Individuality is supposedly 'flawed' (and eventually even being 'evil') ? The writers' argument is Flawed. They never let the story show the People of Rapture react to Fontaine and his deeds AS THEY REALLY SHOULD HAVE DONE. The do not let the citizens do what is allowed/encouraged within the 'Checks-and-Balances' of Ryan's Philosophy, to handle rogues like Fontaine in a Society built on individual rights and freedoms. The Rapture story then would have been far different. But that all has been left-out/avoided because it did NOT fit their force-fed/contrived game story. The writers ignore the integral philosophical and practical aspects of Rapture's proposed Society (substituting their simplistic/shallow unexplained puppet-show backdrop society instead). They leave out the logical societal mechanisms that WOULD make it work. (( '' Any moron can create a Failtopia by being simplistically lazy or by intentionally avoiding realism. '' )) --- --- --- So Ryan's Pride (at being outdone) makes Fontaine his enemy ? Or is it (later) Ryan attempting to undo the poisons he now saw afflicting Rapture's society by a criminal Fontaine ? Ryan is competitive, but draws the line at criminal activity. It might not be understood, to many people today, that Ryan's business practices were at that time quite normal OMG OMG someone makes 'Profit !!!! Shriek Shriek ... Cringe Cringe ... *Snowflake assumes fetal position and soils self* .... The World (and society) worked that way, and had its own balancing points. Ryan, at some point, understood Fontaine was smuggling (and perhaps involved in other criminal activity). But (per the dictates of the Laws of Rapture set by his Philosophy) for a long time could not 'prove it' (so convenient to the story), and thus could not have the City take action. Ryan at least understood that Civilization is based on cooperation, but ALSO has moved forward on individuals being able to exceed the doings of a largely mediocre herd (effort historically was encouraged in America via self-interest/incentive -- Ryan's Great Chain). This has (REAL) historically led to the opening up of opportunities/advantages for the rest of Society, leading to the Modern World. Ryan actually expected Audio Diar that Rapture might/likely-would have SOME problems with people adjusting only slowly from the way things operated (socialism) 'on The Surface'. That, even with the selection he allowed INTO Rapture (pick of people) when attempting to filter-out those who would not fit. He trusted that the benefits of his Philosophical system would win in the end - that THEY ALL (or most) would be able to 'take responsibility for themselves' - to NOT be people who suddenly turn to demanding their sustenance be 'handed to them' by others (( '' THAT, for people (in Ryan's mind) is the ultimate surrender/betrayal of "Free Will" )). (( '' The writers CONTRIVED to force Failure in Rapture, by removing the strengths that the people in Rapture WOULD HAVE HAD, and to use the mechanisms Objectivism allows for. That kind of storytelling is a hack writer's (Clueless???) methodology - instead of delivering a more plausible/real-world-like set of causes. The advent of ADAM SHOULD have been enough by itself, without 'stacking the deck' with other exaggerated contrived effects. '' )) - A man with ethics (Ryan) has to fight to stay within society's limits, while a man who 'does not' (Fontaine) has a much easier time (and the game writers made that '''VERY' easy for Fontaine). The game somewhat illustrates the battle within Ryan as to what lines he crosses, (and when) to save his City. The evidence we see is in Audio Diaries (done from Ryan's point of view, and possibly only what he can admit to himself, and what HE believes to be true AT THE TIME THEY WERE RECORDED). It is not AN actual authoritative narration (which the writers would have you assume it was). The out of sequence 'evidence' (you see in wrecked Rapture) are often from times BEFORE Ryan knows what is really going on. THOSE make him look faulty (as intended by the writers TO SET UP the Player). Later, WE are finally allowed a better overview, about certain events and the results of Ryan's reactions. The Player is still not really shown how Ryan made decisions on what he could ONLY see AT THE TIME. The poisoning of Ryan's city is largely hid from him (example- the conveniently delayed effects of ADAM insanity and disfigurements). He tries to let the Citizens work the lessor effects of ADAM out for themselves (as what happens under Objectivism), then unknown calamities and terrorist-caused actions are laid upon him. So many effects could hardly have stayed hidden as long as they did, especially with a public such things would panic - spreading even just a few cases like wildfire, and fanned by a Free Press. But no it didn't emerge til 'ADAM' was Ryan's 'baby', YEARS after Fontaine had been selling the poison. Worst of all, the game writers have various biased detractors first claiming Ryan didn't do enough, to impose regulation, and then others saying that he was TOO heavy-handed in handling an emergency. The majority of the people of Rapture actually WOULD HAVE agreed with Ryan's decisions at the time they were made. It is all a rather clumsy/failing part of the writer's story. --- --- --- ' "Distortions" ' : I have an issue with limits and distortions while trying to interpret the Audio Diary sources. We get explanations given by people with an unknown quantity of knowledge/ignorance of what is really going on in Rapture, and frequently it is from their Biased motivations and viewpoint. Again it is NOT really an Authoritative Narration, just mere clues, which themselves can be misleading and often completely false. The evidence we are given in the game has major gaps (which we must frequently try to interpolate between). Some may reflected 'the truth' or just someones Take on events, but even those have an indeterminant value because of the unknown time they were recorded. There also should be ASSUMPTIONS based on the Real World (that era) which Rapture is modeled after -- the Normal REAL ways that things happen, which the game's presentation often clashes with. Many Players are wholly ignorant of what Rapture SHOULD have been, and how many of the people in it SHOULD have acted/thought. In many cases events in the story are illogical, especially when any surrounding details in the game are so vague and left unexplained. Likewise, Radio Messages from characters, particularly from Atlas are intentionally misleading. You only later learn that so much YOU WERE TOLD by him was false. The story shaped (forced) the Players opinions and omitted so much else which might have easily conflicted. --- --- --- ' War Measures ' : I use the term ' "War Measures" ' so much BECAUSE : Things (Real World) change drastically under a major crisis situation. It becomes a time when Normalcy ends, and very hard decisions have to be made by the people involved. It involves crossing lines unthinable when things are 'normal'. Necessity is not "Hypocrisy" We might as well accuse Ken Levine of his "Hypocrisy" when the game company ordered him to change the whole set of concepts of the game from what HE had originally decided, and then HE 'caved in to them' and proceded to go against HIS own ideas/wishes.. Most of the Players, possibly, Haven't-A-Clue(tm) historically about what "War Measures" even are, or what they mean to a society (and THAT often with the perspective in the USA which was barely touched by WW2, as compared to other places in the World). Ryan made similar decisions to what FDR and Churchill had to make for WW2, but HE is labeled/impugned as a 'Tyrant' for it (and by game Characters who SHOULD (if they were realistic) have had some better understanding/been-accepting of the necessity, as THEY had recently lived through such times themselves). - Wars do change people, but Ryan's 'War Measures' could be undone when it was all over (as they largely were in the US after WW2) -- after he saved the City HE built (made happen). ADAM and Splicers ? Find a cure. Population depleted? Bring in more. Betrayed and 'Hopeless'? Get more sane supporters. People want to leave ? Comeup with an Amnesia tonic and dump them out into the Surface World they deserve. Rebuild. Pheromones stealing 'free will' ? - Don't use them anymore and get rid of the ADAM and that doesn't work any more. Ryan seemed to still be sticking to his 'principals' at the end -- even as dim as the plot progression was. Lets have him do it ALL more logically. --- --- --- Its all Ryans Fault : Rapture is a 'sad wreck' ? - Yep Yep Yep, 'Ryan did that' -- cuz a lying Atlas tells us so. Again there are lots of vague anecdotal detractors, and we hear from very few Ryan supporters for any Contrary view. We (before BaSx, and even with that Infinite BS hugified environment) are hardly told/shown what an amazing place Rapture (built BY Ryan) was before Fontaine/Atlas went to work destroying it. - Some of the problems I have tried to resolve -- Ryan was an Industrialist who had for decades dealt with People/Institutions/Laws, and he HAD TO KNOW how things operated with People. These shooter game developers make him look like an idiot for many of the decisions they contrive for him, even to the way he allegedly has set up Rapture (There is so much about that which we never get details on). Again, it appears a Dystopic situation out-and-out designed 'To Fail' by the game makers. It could have been done alot more believably (simply written better), even while still bringing about that destiny/story-outcome (or better). Fontaine is made Capone (story-wise), but NOT Capone (via realism being inforce) -- in that the real Capone knew he was an operator within the boundaries of Society, AND if he ever stepped outside of that too far He was Done. Fontaine wants it all, and manages to be trapped in his own scam. He had the resources to take Rapture's knowledge (ADAM, etc...) and go to the Surface and become that 'Big Man' industrialist he dreamed of. But NO, Fontaine suddenly is made too limited to do what he could/should have half-logically done (Bathyspheres locked? He has Submarines - you mean he didn't stash a few when he was planning his new 'Atlas' scam ? Or MADE SURE all along for his ultimate goal ?). He suddenly also becomes as stupid/inept as Ryan is made to be portrayed - when the game plot winds to its end. The writers paint Ryan as such an extremist (it is easy, its just words they write), and who is steadfast against Philanthropy/Altruism, WHEN his own belief in 'Freedom' should mean that anyone should be able to help someone else AS LONG AS it is with THEIR OWN MONEY, and as long as acting "Altruistic" is not to be imposed on others. (Private welfare would have defused much of that contrived 'poor worker' problem, so any such had to be made VERBOTEN in the story - except as leverage for the evil character's machinations). BTW - Ryan was ACTUALLY against 'False Altruists' - those who force altruism on others for their own gain. In Rapture he tries to eliminate the institutions that are (on The Surface) used to FORCE Altruism upon people. The funny thing is : Rapture itself was a huge act of Philathropy/Altruism on Ryan's part : To create such a place of Opportunity (and Safety) for Others at his own huge expense (He's was already so rich that additional wealth/power should not be his motives for building such a place). He could instead have simply QUIT the Doomed World and built a one-man Paradise for himself and some sufficient number of sycophants. As the story goes, Ryan really doesn't get much help from anyone around him (the plot forces that). His fair weather supporters conveniently never really give him much useful advice or Offered Solutions (or any we are allowed to hear of). They instead betray him (McDonagh's actions are some of the dimmest decisions -- to have McDonagh somehow trust in handing power to Fontaine or Atlas and to be so ignorant of what criminals/anarchist controlling Rapture would likely mean). Ryan is left all alone. He is THEN NOT even allowed to make logical decisions in many cases ('logical' as being made from WHO he was SUPPOSED TO BE, and what he personally went thru in HIS life to be who he was, and what he believed). - Story Contrivances : Construction Workers conveniently get put 'Out of Work', when that should have been expected to happen (It would certainly be expected in the Long-Term City plan, by Ryan). They would probably have been told they would HAVE TO (be expected to eventually) find new jobs/professions. People in the Real World have to do that ALL THE TIME (and Ryan should/would have known/expected THAT adjustment , and had contingencies for it ... Except, NO, the writers make sure he does not). How many 'Poor Workers' existed ?? - That also wasn't made too clear (and most would NOT be skill-less grunt laborers with low potential for countless other jobs). But the story goes : that City Construction suddenly ends, *boom*, and countless workers (in the simpleton's ideas of economics) are on the street -- with no savings or owned houses or working spouses, or any job prospects. What fraction of the population and fraction of these 'workers' actually were these "Poor" ? But still that 'crisis' actually happening around 1952 (long before Golden Age Rapture shown by BaSx), and Rapture apparently weathered THAT economic distress and recovered (things balanced themselves under Ryan's Philosophy). Malcontents, maladjusted and lazy people exist in every society 1940 - One in 240 people in the United States was in a government run mental facility. . Ryan at least gave The Rest an opportunity of Freedom (unlike most places in the World -- even today). Such malcontents can make alot of trouble IF they are allowed to -- disrupting the Economy and threatening Public Safety (notice though that they had to be armed with Combat Plasmids to actually get anywhere). In the old days, it was NOT politically incorrect to call someone a 'Bum' if they actually WERE a bum (and most people understood NOT encouraging/empowering 'Bums' in THOSE days). So add the game's (the writers) catering to 'Modern Thinking' of generally ignorant Players (pushing their buttons intentionally - for the allegedly socially relevant plot). Player who are largely ignorant of how people in THAT era actually would understand the events the game portrays (In those times it was often quite different than from Players 'understanding' of today's world/society). - THEN Along comes ADAM : Which completely overwhelms Rapture's (intended) limited social control mechanisms, which Ryan had counted on for normal societal problems. JUST Think what mass-introduction of ADAM-Insanity and Plasmid Power Weirdness would do to our oh-so-caring 'better' society !! (IMO, Our society is far more fragile than Rapture's). The 1959 economic distress was caused NOT by Ryan's Philosophy system's failing (a previous Recession ~ 1952 WAS handled after all), but instead was being manufactured by Fontaine/Atlas (call it 'Terrorism' and 'murder intent to destroy Order' and to end Ryan's influence). The (writer's) story FORCED an inept/unlikely/illogical/implausible mis-handling of it all by Ryan, and ridiculous inactivity by the Citizenry and the existing social-balance institutions that existed within his Philosophy (like a 'Free Press' -- which strangely only attacked Ryan). Example : The earlier Smuggling thing would/could NOT have been covered up for so long in a place as small as Rapture. In any case, Rapture's 'law' system worked-out handling the Smuggling problem (eventually). BUT SO soon after that, Rapture's society couldn't handle 'a guerrilla war' being declared from within by Atlas, using ADAM monsters. And REMEMBER : Rapture was no Police State, it hardly had a Police force at all. That was the something that allowed/enabled Fontaine/Atlas, via ADAM's superpowers, to do So much, So fast. The Terrorists Splicers effectively attack any-place any-time and anybody (the unprotected) employed to achieve Fontaine's goals. The few police with guns were shown unable to counter Combat Plasmids placed in the hands of half-insane Terrorists sneaking through the city. Heavier weapons would be used (Chemical Throwers) to counter the Terrorist Splicers, but would prove inefective in the guerrilla type fighting. --- --- --- The (writers) Fix 'Was In' ''' : The poisonous/maiming ADAM could have simply been Banned (by public outcry alone) AS an obvious Health Risk - '''IF it had been noticed and exposed (Sorry Charley, such was not part of the writer's narrative ...). SO the people of Rapture were made passive and inept and to act stupidly against their interests (BTW, the fad-ism of ADAM was simply NOT ENOUGH of an excuse for its widespread adoption, despite the writers' assertion in the story). - Ryan had allegedly vetted the people who come to Rapture The BS2 'writing to someone' in Ryan's Amusement ride hints that. BUT, a collectivist/mental case like Sofia Lamb, for some reason, gets a pass -- Oh so conveniently. Funny how that is made to happen to introduce another poison into Rapture (for the Philosophical conflict). --- --- --- ' 'There is No Law' in Rapture ?? Anarchy ? Absurd.' It is a myth some Players might assume. Anarcho-Capitalism ??? BUT How do you have a commercial society of the level of a Modern City without ANY Law/Laws (with no enforcement or arbitration or courts) ?? THAT'S Only in Fantasy-land... We are just not told those things (whole institutions) are still there -- as they would NEED to be. Again the spotty portrayal is 'For the Plot'. The writers needed to make Ryan, and his Libertarianism/Objectivism, sound crazy to the typical Player. What a great RIGGED setup to create Failure for any society (easy-peasy for the writers to create a simple cardboard cutout 'lawless' dystopia, which this Slaughter-fest Shooter game minimally required ...). Ryan initially does nothing (doesn't react/interfere, even after the problems grow some). He waits for Rapture's Society to handle it all itself -- quite reasonably -- and gets blamed for THAT (adhering to his Philosophy that everyone expected). But the society the writers created does not have the features a REAL Objectivist society WOULD have, so things of course get much worse. When Ryan DOES finally take strong action (now an emergency), it is now labeled as 'Breaking his own Philosophy', and he is then blamed for that too. That's the story the gamewriters force upon you. Actually, the majority of people in Rapture would have continued to support Ryan (they came out of World War 2, and understood about why/when strong measure need to be taken). Unfortunately, we hardly hear from the bulk of the Ordinary Citizens in the game (( '' The 'Ryan is Bad' rigged plot strikes again. '' )). We are constantly fed lies from Atlas, and vagaries and partial facts in the Audio Diaries -- getting steered by the writer's needs for a story 'twist'. So All in All, Ryan was effectively made into an illogical story pawn, forced to act with a 'heavy hand' (with Rapture's Society "writer-blocked" from working/acting properly) - denied the tools/support he should have had, and was made to do stupid actions. "The Storyboard rules - the Writer drools" - Stanley Kubrick The Novel author seems to have picked up on that strange situation, and tried to fill in some details to explain things more. Unfortunately he was still restricted in having to deal with established 'facts' from the game, and the plot's outcome. The BS2 and BaSx DLC writers subsequently ran with the previous game writers' now locked-in societal stupidity and story flaws, and added their own. --- --- --- So How Else Could Ryan Be Interpreted ? An 'Ego-Maniac' running his own kingdom ? Atlas might claim that, BUT Ryan seems to bend over backwards to not do that. AND he could have built the place much simpler/cheaper/enforcible IF THAT were his intent. He sure took his time stepping-in to counter those who were working against him and trying to change Rapture. No laws ? No Justice ? Yet Ryan was (shown) awfully concerned with following "Due Process" against those he saw as Rapture's enemies. In comparison, Fontaine and Lamb would have murdered Ryan at the drop of a hat -- IF they had been in Ryan's position of power . "The Hephaestus Hermit", as Ryan was labeled, sounds pretty stupid and inept/uncaring. SO Ryan is sitting doing nothing ? Instead The Citizens would/should have seen that Ryan had constantly been taking action. In the story THIS was NOT recognized in contrary statements. NOTHING ??? With All the Security measures Ryan took ? They Forgot about those ? Most everything he did after the Kashmir Massacre is hardly mentioned/pointed-out. ALSO, A city doesn't run itself, and Hephaestus is his command center. He is the one keeping the City running and alive (nobody else seemed to be 'going to help' ...). If Ryan is to rebuild/restore Rapture, he has to GET RID of the destructive Terrorist Atlas FIRST, AND HIS actions WOULD have been KNOWN (been quite obvious) to the populace. Rapture's many survivors have to be fed, given Power, Air and Water and Heat. Ryan's WYK wall, looks like he had people busy gathering data for him to piece together that puzzle. Its revealed that Once Jack arrives, Ryan is prepared and starts to play his own game. BUT Ryan then went 'Crazy' ?? (BTW The string board is usually a plot device used in Movies/TV to signify 'obsession' - except on 'cop' shows were it implies an systematic/efficient detective process). Ryan THEN killing himself like that, when he was actually winning ??? (Illogical, AND a writer-missed major opportunity for a REAL 'Twist' : of Ryan ALSO faking his own death.). How did Ryan EVER become a super-rich industrialist by ever giving up at some mere setback ?? Sorry Levine, No. And WHY did Ryan not SIMPLY (and dramatically) 'Blow Rapture Up' Properly ? Or wasn't Ryan competent to do that (as shown) for that one simple thing ? Instead, he virtually hands it all to Atlas/Fontaine -- WHY? So now Ryan is even MORE inept ? Crazy doesn't equate with 'inept'. A meglo-maniacal 'Great Statement' to ALL RAPTURE about THEIR failure and HIS 'disappointment' would have been more fitting, NO ? For some reason Ryan doesn't see the thing done properly ( ... it did NOT fit the writer's plot, with its anti-climactic, less-than-awesome end 'Boss Fight'). Ryan simply could have drowned his City bit by bit to 'get Atlas', BUT he didn't. WHY NOT have Ryan PROPERLY destroy HIS creation IF he was so disappointed with it ? -- Because it was 'ruined' and 'being taken from him' (Burn down the Forest... as per the Audio Diary) ? BUT HE DID NOT. EXCEPT - (Looking at It Logically) Ryan figured out what Jack was (see his WYK Board tracing Fontaine's plot) - It WOULD be Easy enuf for Ryan to there nullify Jack and deprogram him later. First Turn Fontaine into Fish food, and go on to rebuild Rapture. --- --- --- Great Men overcome setbacks. Small Men never would have built Rapture (or our Modern World). So it really wouldn't matter if Ryan wasn't George Washington. The hack game writers said he had to be 'The Bad Guy' and Fail, so he was and did. ALL Too contradictory and illogical. Even Great and Misunderstood (an interpretation from between the lines/vagueness we are given), the deck was stacked ridiculously against Ryan. Fontaine was just a 'Parasite' which should have simply been 'stepped on' in a properly Epic Story. --- --- --- --- --- . .